Arnica –Arnica spp.  - we grow A. chamissonis
Growth Habit:   perennial; grows well in well-drained, loamy soil and full sun, spreads by rhizomes and seeds and will quickly spread to open spaces to make a dense green mat.  Leave about 6 inches between plants when first transplanting to allow it to spread.
Plant ID: light green leaves with slightly rough texture; about 2 feet in height with bright yellow disk type flowers in clusters of three or four
Harvesting:  hand pick flowers as bloom, dry on a rack or in brown paper bags
Parts to Use: flowers
Culinary Properties:  none
Healing Properties: external to treat damaged tissue, bruising, sprains and strains; beneficial in alleviating muscle tension.  Often found in arthritis remedies
Preparations: salves, oils
How we will use:  We have not used it in any preparations we make as of yet but we have purchased salves that contain arnica.  This will most likely be a preferred method of use since two senior family members have arthritis and we all get muscle strain after hours of garden work.

1. There is so much information flying about right now about what herbs to use, how to use them, which herbs NOT to use, cytokine storms (what?!) and so much more.  We don’t want to add to the noise, but we did want to share what we’ve gathered these past couple of weeks and also what our plans are for weathering these next few months and what herbs we plan to rely on.  There are also some resources below that we really enjoy and trust, including some free classes and reading – perfect for some quieter time and to add to your herbal knowledge through home study.
   

What herbs we’ll be using
With all the information being tossed out in the news, on social media and even from friends and family, it can be difficult to parse out just what you should be doing.  It can feel like you’re not prepared, you don’t know enough, and why, oh why didn’t you start or expand your herb garden last year?! 

Here are some of the steps and herbs we think are important to take control of your own health during a time such as the pandemic we are experiencing now:

1. Inventory your herbs – know what you’ve got and how much; now is not the time to panic buy herbs of all kinds that may be useful.  There is still so much we don’t know about this virus, and as a living entity, it can change, morph and evolve into something new and different.  Its best to know what you currently have access to in your herbal pantry.  If you don’t know – you can’t use it.  Which leads us to the next step.

2. Use what you have: you might be surprised to find that some of the herbs you have on hand are good for what might ail you – whether that be this particular virus or something else that crops up while the medical system is overwhelmed.  Here are a couple of herbs we have on hand and are ready to use should we need to:

• Got yarrow? Make a tea for when you have a fever – it is both cooling and warming – helping to get the blood flowing and inducing sweating.  Many recommendations are coming out for this current virus to avoid NSAIDs like ibuprofen, a frequent go to medicine for fever.  Yarrow is easy to grow and proflic – it is a common “weed” in the lawn at the farm – ha!  While we haven’t used yarrow for fevers because we’ve been lucky to avoid high fevers, and we typically let most fevers run their course since they are beneficial to the healing process for the body – we definitely have some on hand to make tea for this virus should it strike.  Sadly, this plant can be problematic for people who have allergies to plants in the Aster family (think daises, sunflowers, asters, and such).  Read on for another herb that could be a good alternative.
• Catnip – a cooling herb that also promotes relaxation.  Erin has used both the tea and tincture for years to help ease stress, anxiety and promote better sleep. A friend has also used this for many years with her children for fevers.  Again, we’ve been lucky to avoid high fevers with the kiddo, but this is another herb we are looking to should a high fever show up.  So – not just for cats!
• Sage, thyme & rosemary – we’ll be putting these into an herbal steam.  Dried or fresh works and we love herbal steams for stuffy and congested nose, sinus and lungs.  Sage and thyme make a great tea to drink for these same things.  And - all three of these can also be infused into alcohol as a cleaner for disinfecting surfaces.  Thyme and sage can also be infused in honey to make useful cough syrups.  Check your spice cupboard for these beneficial herbs!
• Onions – in our family for both the youngest and oldest members, any little sniffle and bit of mucus seems to go straight to their lungs, leading to long lasting and lingering coughs.  We’ve employed onion poultices for many, many years.  Often at the first tickle and cough, to help shorten the duration and severity of the illness.  The quiet rest that an onion poultice requires probably doesn’t hurt either. 
• Garlic – another strongly aromatic “herb”, garlic gets infused in honey to be taken throughout the day in teas or straight for coughs and congestion.  It also gets infused into oil, and then that oil is put on the kiddo’s feet right before bed.  This seems to help quiet the cough during the night, and make the wake up in the morning a little less filled with harsh coughs as well.  We’ve got some garlic infuse olive oil stashed in the fridge for just this use.
• There are a few others we’re keeping in our back pockets in case needed, including: anise hyssop, beebalm, German chamomile, plantain, marshmallow and horehound.

3. Keep it simple – when you are sick, don’t mix the herbs into a “miracle” concoction – stick to just one or two herbs, and listen to your body to see what herb appeals to you.  Now is not the time to mix herbs and throw them at an illness – you won’t know what reactions (positive or not so nice) came from which herb.  High fever? Reach for the yarrow or catnip for a tea.  Make a big jar first thing in the morning, strain it out, and then put it into a to-go mug to keep it hot and sip on it all day long.  Herbs work best in frequent, small to medium doses.  Herbs are not drugs and need time and larger quantities (typically) to work.  Gather your goodies now before you get sick, and stick to what you can readily, and easily use/put together when sick.  This takes us nicely to the next step!

4. Prep - get what herbal remedies you have on hand ready.  Make smaller jars of dried herbs for infusions, get your tinctures poured off into smaller bottles with droppers for dosing.  Gather those all up into a small basket or box that can sit in an easy to reach and access spot.  Gather up the larger tincture bottles and larger jars of dried herbs into a larger basket, and make those easily accessible in a convenient dark cupboard.  Make sure you have enough honey on hand.  Gather your tea making supplies – strainers, filters (coffee filters work great for larger batches!), jars and lids.  Make sure that if sickness descends, you have things ready and easy, so you don’t have to think – just easily pull things together.

5. Don’t panic - Don’t have a specific herb recommended by an herbalist online? Don’t worry – go back to step #2 above and use what you have.  Many of the herbs you likely already have can be useful – plantain, yarrow, catnip, German chamomile and many others.  Now is not the time to panic buy all the herbs that you don’t have – in fact you might not be able to do so.  Many of the trusted herbal sources are not taking orders right now because they have been overwhelmed in the past few weeks and many are out of the herbs that are being commonly written about online. 

6. Let spring unfold – it can be hard during this time of uncertainty to let things unfold naturally, but this is actually a really great time to start ramping up your herbal pantry.  Look around you for the spring herbal allies and plant friends that you’ve noticed in the past, but not done anything with.  Chickweed, cleavers, and dandelion abound right now.  Pesto from chickweed and dandelion greens can aid in getting the blood moving and digestion going from a winter of heavy foods.  Now is a great time to make a tincture of cleavers to help move stagnant lymph nodes in the future (Erin loves cleavers tincture for swollen, hot and hard lymph nodes – especially the one right in the middle of the underside of the chin, which frequently comes up with throat, mouth and lip issues for her).  Wilt some chickweed for a few hours in the spring sunshine, and then infuse it into olive oil for the skin – it captures that fresh, cool spring air in its leaves, which can be so soothing to hot skin conditions common in the summer such as bug bites, sunburn and general skin burns.  You can leave it as an oil or make it into a simple salve, then keep it next to your kitchen sink for burns from all the homemade cooking you are doing now.  ;)

7. Make plans for summer – what herbs would you like to grow? What can you add or make room for, which will help you feel better prepared for future illnesses – illnesses of any kind and significance?  Take your frustration at being cooped up at home, and turn it into the action of planning for herbs to add to your garden and/or your herbal pantry.  You can grow many herbs in pots.  No pots and no way to buy any now? Use what you have – even a cardboard box lined with plastic works (yes, yes – we really did just suggest that – we are big advocates of using what you have on hand before going out to buy things).  Once things calm down a bit, many small farms around you will have herb starts for sale, and may also have fresh and dried herbs available.  Start following those farms online and connect virtually with them now.  Connect with friends to buy in bulk from companies such as Mountain Rose Herbs, once they are up and running again. Get a group wish list together and start planning out how to divide up the larger quantities of herbs they sell.

Here are the herbs we are adding to the garden this year that we hope will be useful in the future: elecampane, mullein, wild bergamot, California poppy (if we can get the dogs to stop stomping all over it!), astragulus and we’re sure some others we haven’t thought of yet!

Resources:
We found these resources very helpful in the past few weeks, making us feel like we had what we needed in our herbal apothecary and kitchen cupboards to support ourselves and our families during this specific illness, along with any future flu and cold illnesses.  It also provided a bit of inspiration for research and study into new herbs, some of which we are adding to the herb gardens this year!

Elderberry – lots has been passed around the internet about elderberry and whether it is appropriate for this particular virus due to the potential for cytokine storms.  We fully admit that we didn’t even know what these were until the info started coming out.  (But Erin’s husband was familiar with them - as a community college biology teacher and general science nerd – he knew all about them as part of his curriculum on the immune system – guess we should include him in our herb conversations more often – ha!).  There is so much information, so we thought we would share a couple of key resources we used to make a decision about whether we would use elderberry: https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/elderberry-side-effects.html

General immunity - Great overall info on how to help support your immune system throughout the year, and be prepared for any illness: https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/herbs-for-immunity.html

Coughs – some information is indicating that along with a high fever, this virus also carries with it a cough.  Here is some really great info on coughs, including looking at the specific type of cough you have and how best to treat that: https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/home-remedies-for-cough.html
 
Healthy Immune system: Coronavirus help – from Susun Weed – a FREE course that can be completed online in less than ~30 min, this series of short videos features Susun providing great insight and ideas.  What we really liked about this one was the straight forward and simple ideas provided:  https://www.wisewomanschool.com/p/healthy-immune-system

Peppermint (Menta piperita)
This favorite of the over 400 varieties of mint is grown and used both commercially and by gardeners.  It is easily grown in zones 3 to 11 in sun or partial shade.  Its fragrance is as pungent as its flavor and both are readily recognized.  No wonder it is a favorite flavor for candies and desserts.  Since many dessert recipes call for an extract - try making your own peppermint extract to keep and use in your baking or to give as a gift. While fresh works best for the extract, dried can be used.  These grain free chocolate peppermint cookies will be a tasty addition to your holiday baking.  Peppermint also helps stimulate digestion and alleviate headaches, so makes a terrific tea!  It is not only good inside our bodies but can be used in home remedies and body care. As a key ingredient in this amazing whipped body butter, it makes for a tingly soothing foot rub.  It has been given as a gift from Erin many times and it's been very well received.

semary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
This “fir needle” bush has a strong fragrance and grows wild on the coasts of the Mediterranean.  So it prefers well drained soil, a mild climate with sun and humidity.  It is somewhat tender so can be done in by the freezing temperatures, especially in higher elevations, that we have in the winter months. It will do fine in a container that can brought in doors or at least in close to the house.   It has a long history of multiple uses and was used by the Greeks and Romans as a culinary herb. This delicious herb with a rather strong taste enhances the taste of roasts, soups and stews.  It also helps to reduce headaches.  Known as the herb of remembrance, it has many cosmetic uses you can remember friends and family with this holiday.  Make this amazing rosemary mint shave cream, it was well received by family as a gift in past years.  Body scrubs are easy to make gifts that many appreciate.  Finally, rosemary is a delicious savory addition to main dishes such as this roasted chicken or a fluffy cake, which would make a great potluck dish!

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
This small mounded shrub with the tiny leaves is known as the herb of courage - appropriate as it is highly anti-bacterial.  Infuse it in honey for your winter tea in time for cold and flu season.  It also makes a great addition to fire cider a classic winter tonic to ease cold and flu symptoms.  In the kitchen, it makes a great addition to vegetable dishes of all kinds, such as these roasted carrots.   It is considered to have a powerful flavor so it is added lightly as you’ll see in recipes.  It's antiseptic and disinfectant properties make it also great in cleaning around the home, such as in this lemon thyme disinfecting spray.  There are a great many varieties of thyme, some of them creeping which are used decoratively. Their small size and easy care make them good candidates for containers.

Sage (Salvia officinalis)
Another woody perennial with multiple uses, sage is well known in the kitchen. The herb often associated with holiday turkey and stuffing is good in poultry and dressings and in herbal salt rubs, which are great for cooking meats and veggies.  It as an effective treatment for sore throats and colds in teas, honey to add to teas which are used regularly in our households.  Sage could also be used in candied throat drops.  The herb of immortality, it provides great support as a general anti-inflammatory.  If you are looking for something a little different for the bread basket this holiday, try these pumpkin sage biscuits.  Finally, sage makes an appearance in these great boot fresheners, which were a gift for one of our favorite outdoor guys.   We used brand new socks along with our garden grown herbs - simple and practical, our favorite kind of herbal gift!


Lavender (Lavandula spp.)
The light purple hue of the tiny petals of the flowers of this woody shrub are instantly associated with an easily identified color that is its’ name. Its delicate fragrance is also readily recognized.  Known as a great stress reducer , it is a favorite aroma in gifts such as these mini lavender bath melts or rose, lavender & oatmeal bath bombs.  Known as the herb of purity, it can be used in a wide variety of goodies for cleaning including this scouring powder or lavender dryer sachets.  Typically associated with its fragrance, it has some uses in the kitchen.  Found in Herbes de Provence, a signature French herb blend which goes well with winter veggies especially winter squash and poultry.  It is also delicious in desserts like shortbread.

Incorporate these herbs into your holiday recipes and DIY herbal gifts this season to share your love of herbs with others!

These are a few of our favorite things!
As herb lovers, we often get questions at classes and events regarding what are some of our favorite tools, our favorite herbs, and great books.  So for fun, we thought we’d use this month’s blog to create a list of a few of our favorite herbal things.  Maybe it will help you find something for the upcoming holidays for the herbal lover in your life.
 
Books and Magazines

• Medicinal Herbs – A Beginner’s Guide by Rosemary Gladstar – this is an amazing book for both beginner and advanced herbalists featuring some of our very favorite herbs and easy to make recipes and remedies.  A must have for any herb shelf.
• Alchemy of Herbs by Rosalee de la Floret – an herbalist located in our own home state of Washington, and one Erin has taken quite a few classes from.  This is book uses regular ingredients to help you create simple and effective remedies.  Love the recipes and info on herbs!
• The Complete Herb Book by Maggie Stuckey – an easy to read and use book that includes an encyclopedia of a great many familiar herbs with black and white illustrations. Also has sections on gardening, cooking crafts and household products and healing. This was one of the first herb books we bought on a mother-daughter weekend at the beach many, many moons ago.  Our copy is faded and almost falling apart - a testament to its many tears of use.
• The Herb Bible by Peter McHoy and Pamela Westland – a directory of the most popular and easy to grow herbs with colorful illustrations. A complete section on growing herbs from the planning to the caring for them.  Also has sections on using herbs in cooking, crafts and home remedies.
• The Essential Herbal Magazine - filled with information, recipes, lore, and crafting ideas and instructions for using herbs and making them a part of your life every day.  We eagerly await our copy in the mail every other month.  Get your own or a gift subscription here

Kitchen Tools/Gadgets

• Herb Mill – we often get asked how we grind up the herbs we use for teas and cooking, and people always “Oh!” and “Aw!” over the stainless steel herb mills we bring out (there is quite the collection in the herb kitchen!), and then ask where we got them.  They can be a bit harder to find, but here is a good price on ones that look like a couple of the models we have: https://www.rootsandharvest.com/product/stainless-steel-herb-mill/sprouts-herbs

We find these work best for dried herbs – creating a nice evenly milled herb that doesn’t leave big chunks in your food - for those who desire a nice texture instead of full rosemary pine needles in your dishes. 

• Tea Filters – these tea filters do a good job of keeping fine herbs from floating in your tea, allowing you to quickly and easily make loose leaf tea portable in your to-go mug/cup.  They are unbleached and made of paper, so can be composted.  Mountain Rose Herbs is our favorite place to buy herbs that we don’t grow or grow enough of ourselves, and they’ve got great selection on herb related goods.  Bonus – they are based here in the PNW!  You might also be able to find something similar at your local natural goods grocery store.
  https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/products/disposable-tea-filters/profile
  • As an alternative for teas that don’t have fine particles, this works well too and fits in both cups and teapots: https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/products/celestial-tea-strainer/profile
    
    
• Garden Delights Herb Blends – what kitchen is complete without some of our lovely culinary herb blends?!  Nearly all of the herbs are grown on our farm, ground by hand (using the mills featured above!), and then combined together in our kitchen for easy use in creating delicious meals.  We use them regularly in our the meals we eat as a family.  Here are our favorites:
  • Savory Onion
    
  • Veggies & Soups
    
  • Herb Dip/Dressing
    
  • Mexican
    
  • Italian
    

Garden Tools/Gadgets

• Stirrup Hoe – Erin had seen these in a small farm/gardening article or online video somewhere, and when shopping at the local Ace Hardware in Battle Ground, saw one.  She promptly picked it up and put it in the cart – Eloyce wasn’t completely sure, but Erin convinced her to buy it and give it a try.  Skip forward to a few weeks later, after giving it a try, it is by and far one of Eloyce’s favorite garden tools.  Small, young weeds are no match for this hoe and now those helping with garden chores are eager to use this hoe (sometimes there may be small arguments about who gets to use it!).  We highly recommend you check your small hardware or garden store for one and add it to your tool shed!

• Herb Snips – these are our very favorite clippers or snips for harvesting herbs.  There are probably 4 pairs between the two of us.  They’ve lasted many years and have been well worth the money.  Easy to clean and sharpen, we highly recommend them.  https://www.gardeners.com/buy/pocket-snips/8586317.html#start=5
• Hori hori – a pointed tool with serrated edges.  It also has measurements along one edge for help in planting, which this tool is good for along with rooting out weeds or uprooting herbs for transplant. Ours came with leather cases for protecting the blade or your bum if it ends up in a back pocket as so many smaller garden tools do.

https://www.gardeners.com/buy/garden-tools/planting-tools/

Favorite Personal Gifts
Who doesn’t need (deserve!) a good soak after a long day in the garden or out among the herbs? Maybe some salve to heal the wounds of working so hard.  Gardeners would appreciate some personal gifts to soothe the body and soul.

Too numerous to mention them all.  We make some such as bath salts, herbal healing salves, dreamy sleep pillows, and tea samplers.  But we aren’t the only ones, so search out the upcoming bazaars for us and other local vendors who use herbs in their products. Three of our favorites are Half Moon Farm, Scented Acres and Soaring Dreams.  We always appreciate that people support our local small farms and businesses.

Looks like it’s really cooling down, just in time for Autumn Solstice.  And just in time to move that peppermint we’ve been eyeing all summer to its new spot in a raised bed.  We started the move last spring, but summer overtook us and we weren’t able to completely get all the plants to their new home.  Because summer is not typically a good time to re-position plants,  we had peppermint in two spots.  Early fall is a good time to  move and propagate plants. With cooler temperatures, rain and some sunny days, plants have a good chance to get a good root base started before they need to hibernate for the winter.

Maybe you’ve been wanting an extra thyme or some other valued herb.  Rather than looking for an actual plant, it is fairly easy to propagate from your mother plants. Here are some methods for propagating perennial herb plants that we have used and found successful.

So what about that peppermint?  One semi-sunny Saturday between storms, Erin moved some of the plants.  On another sunny afternoon, Eloyce moved the rest.  Since it is a mint we were moving, we used a shovel to dig deep around the plants and gently tugged the long roots intact to the surface.  Although this was a simple move and didn’t require propagating, we used some of the same techniques.  The peppermint we moved in the spring, grew tall, hardy and green and the plants we moved this fall do the same.

As you walk your gardens, take note of which plants seem to be thriving in their locations, and which might benefit from a new location.  Transplanting them during the fall gives them a head start on their new location come spring, when they will shoot up to the sun, ready for a new season of herbal bounty.

Herbal iced teas can be refreshing on a hot summer day while providing us some great benefits from the herbs included.  Peppermint, chamomile, catnip and much more can create tasty, beneficial and cooling herbal iced tea.  Its easy to make a larger batch to store in the fridge for the week. 
 
Our method is simple (as we always prefer!) – walk the garden with some clippers or scissors and snip handfuls of what calls to you.  Follow your nose, blending the fresh herbs that say “Pick me, pick me!” as you walk around.  You can start out with slightly smaller batches, as you get to know what you like.   Cut stems about 6 inches long, as if you were gathering a bouquet – well, actually you are gathering a bouquet – a tea bouquet!  We recommend a good handful of fresh herbs – where you can barely close your fingers together.

Place your fresh herbs in a large pan, such as a roasting pan – shallow and more flat is better, so the herbs are well covered by the water.  Then boil water; once it’s heated, pour over the herbs – making sure the herbs are fully covered by the water.  Put the lid on the pan to cover (keep the steam and all the flavorful oils in the herbs in!) and let sit to steep for up to 20 minutes and cool at the same time.  Strain the fresh herbs out using a fine mesh strainer.  You now have a concentrated tea “base” you can store in the fridge for up to a week.  Mason jars work well to store you tea concentrate.
 
We take this concentrated tea and dilute with a bit of chilled, filtered water from the fridge, add ice and enjoy!  You’ll have to play around with the dilution rate – sometimes we don’t dilute at all, and sometimes we dilute up to 50%.  It depends on the herb blend we used and how long we let it steep.  Stronger herbs such as rosemary, beebalm or such, and/or a longer steep time usually call for a slightly higher dilution rate.  We drink this throughout the day, and even with our meals - hello chilled drink with lunch and dinner – yum!

Here are a few of our favorite herbs to include:
 
German Chamomile: this fruity herb adds a hint of floral apple flavor to your tea and has the added benefit of being cooling and relaxing.  Snip a few flowers to add to your tea, or make ice cubes by floating the fresh flowers in an ice cube tray and covering with water before freezing.
 
Peppermint: this bold mint friend makes a great addition to your herbal iced teas.  Depending on your taste buds, you can have this herb make up to half your blend.  It is very cooling and soothing, especially on really hot days or when you may have a headache.
 
Lemon Balm: often this cooling minty herb with a hint of lemon flavor makes up the majority of the fresh herbs in our teas.  Its mild scent and flavor make it a great base for your herbal iced teas, sometimes we’ll even grab a whole handful of this by itself!  As a member of the mint family, it is cooling and refreshing while also supporting relaxation and calm, as well as easing headaches.  This herb is also best used fresh - when dried it doesn't hold  onto its lemon/mint scent and flavor quite as well.  As a prolific grower there is usually plenty, and harvesting and using it is the best way to help control its rampant growth - so get going using this herb!
 
Catnip: a little goes a long way with this herb, which is cooling and relaxing as well.  It has a slightly smoky mint flavor (some may say skunky!) – so use lightly.  Just 3-5 stems with leaves and flowers will add just the right flavor.
 
Catmint: the bright purple flowers of this mint family member make a great addition to your tea; it combines the best of both mints and catnip together.  A few sprigs helps add depth and flavor to your tea blend.
 
Anise Hyssop: a delightful light scent of anise, some fruity and light floral undertones will add some great flavor to your tea bouquet with this herb.  While not fans of black licorice, we absolutely love this herb’s scent and flavor.  A few sprigs will add some great flavor to your tea while also supporting breathing.
 
Beebalm: looking for a hint of spice? Try a few sprigs of our native spice – beebalm!  Indigenous peoples of North America made tea from this herb – like anise hyssop above, it helps support lungs and breathing – which may be useful with the increase in forest fires and smoky skies in late summer.

Some other herbs to consider: "flavored" basils such as cinnamon or lemon; other mints such as orange, choloate or apple; lemon or lime thyme.

A few herbs to avoid or use in very, very limited quantities: lavender, rosemary, thyme, feverfew, sage and calendula.  While beautiful,tasty, and beneficial, the strong flavors of these herbs may overwhelm other herbs in your blend.  These strong flavors not be what you or your guests are looking for.  So use these in smaller quantities or skip them as you make your initial blends and get to know what herbs you like best together.  At a class last month, Erin used both sage and rosemary in the tea blend, and it wasn't as well received as other blends we've made for on farm classes.
 
During these hot days of late summer, get out into the garden and see what herbs call to you to craft your own herbal iced teas!

As summer approaches and becomes official on June 21st, the first of the summer vegetables begin to appear.  Thank goodness for the May rains which kept our gardens watered and the few days of heat that helped those seeds we so diligently planted, pop open and spring forth from the warm earth.  The garden at the farm has a few peas ready to cling to the fence, reach for the sky and set forth their tasty pods.  Green beans are popping up as well as lettuce and spinach.  The tiny feathery carrot leaves can barely be seen but we know they’ll grow tall and by fall we’ll have the orange carrots that we love and store through the winter.  The potatoes are planted and summer squashes are going in the ground this week, as well as corn and parsnips.

Since June is Eat Your Veggies month and June 10th is celebrated as National Herb Day, let’s consider the herbs (although you may be missing basil, you should have lots of other herbs to enjoy) that will bring out the flavor of those first vegetables of summer such as spinach and greens of all kinds, sugar pod peas and shelling peas, zucchini, green beans, broccoli and radishes.  Here are a few recipes to try for serving those first veggies of summer.

Veggie Sauté
Prep and Cook Time:  20 minutes
½ C green beans cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 yellow summer squash, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
½ C thinly sliced carrots
1 tsp each fresh: oregano, thyme and rosemary
1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
1 ½ C coarsely chopped spinach
¼ tsp garlic (if desired)
¼ tsp ground pepper
In a large skillet, sauté the zucchini, yellow squash, onions, beans and carrots in butter/oil until crisp-tender.  Add the spinach, herbs, and garlic; sauté 3-4 minutes longer or just until spinach is wilted.

Baked Spinach Supreme
Prep & Cook time:  35 – 45 min
1 C biscuit/baking mix                      Filling:
2 eggs                                               1 ½ C chopped spinach
¼ C milk                                            1 ½ C cottage cheese
¼ C finely chopped chives                ¾ C shredded Monterey Jack cheese
                                                        ½ C grated Parmesan cheese   
                                                       3 eggs               
                                                       1 tsp each fresh: parsley, marjoram, winter savory
  In a small bowl combine the biscuit mix, eggs, milk and chives.  Spread into a greased 11 X 7 inch baking dish.  In  
   another bowl combine the filling ingredients.  Gently spoon over biscuit mixture.  Bake, uncovered at 350˚  for
   28-32 minutes or until golden brown and a knife inserted near center comes out clean.

In early summer when just the idea of fresh zucchini makes my mouth water any way it is prepared, this simple salad will be a hit.  Later when everyone thinks they have had enough zucchini to last a life time, bring it back for a tasty change.

Shaved Zucchini Salad
Prep and Cook Time:  20 min
1/3 C olive oil
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp pepper
2 lbs medium zucchini, trimmed
1 small wedge Parmesan cheese
1 tsp each fresh herbs:  tarragon, parsley, chives
¼ C toasted pine nuts or almonds   Spread nuts on a baking sheet and bake in 350˚ oven for 3 to 5 min.  Will burn quickly, so watch carefully.
 In a bowl, whisk oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and herbs to make dressing.   Set aside.  Using a vegetable peeler working from top to bottom of each zucchini, slice zucchini into ribbons (about 1/16 inch thick). Place ribbons in a large bowl and add nuts. Add dressing and toss.  Season with salt and pepper if desired. Using vegetable peeler, shave strips of Parmesan cheese over salad.
 
 
Spinach and Apple Salad
Prep and Cook Time: 15 min
½ C unsweetened apple juice
3 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp each fresh herb: thyme, marjoram, rosemary
Dash salt
Dash pepper
1 C fresh baby spinach
1 medium apple, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1/3 C crumbled blue cheese
1/3 C chopped walnuts
In a small bowl whisk the first 7 ingredients.  In a salad bowl, combine spinach, apple, onion, blue cheese and walnuts.  Drizzle with dressing and mix well.
 
Snow Pea and Carrot Stir Fry
Prep and Cook Time: 10 min 
1 Tbsp oil
2 C fresh snow peas
½ C thinly sliced carrots
1 tsp grated fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp dry ginger
2Tbsp soy sauce or tahini sauce
2 tsp finely chopped chives
1 tsp each fresh herb: oregano, thyme, lovage
Heat a wok or sauté pan over high heat.  Add the oil and heat; then add snow peas and carrots.  Stir fry for one minute.  Add ginger, soy sauce and herbs, then stir fry one more minute.

The herbs suggested for use, are just that – suggestions.  You might want to try a different herb or more of one kind than another, or even some our herb blends.  Bring out the flavor of early veggies with whatever herbs you have growing and enjoy!

With truly warm (dare we say “hot”?!) weather arriving soon, we are reminded that it is almost time to plant basil.  Basil has been a favorite herb of cooks for centuries.  It is a window sill herb in many Mediterranean households.  Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is an annual from the Mediterranean region that grows 1 to 2 feet tall.  It is genus name is the ancient Greek word for “king”.  This small bush, deep green plant prefers full sun and warm temperatures to grow well.  It is commonly associated with Italian cooking, especially pesto, but there are many more uses beyond the kitchen. 

Growing
Basil is best started from seed indoors, under lights and with heat mats, in early spring (in our Zone 8 region, that would be late March or early April), then transplanted outside in early summer.  Alternatively you can direct seed into your garden beds after June 1st, once it is warmer overnight.  Basil is one of our Annual Herbal Trifecta, which we plant directly into our veggie beds in late spring or early summer.  For more details on our planting of basil (along with dill and cilantro), check out this blog: herbal-annual-trifecta.html

Basil really does love hot weather, especially at night, so for some areas the season for growing basil can be short.  Putting it in a pot can help hold in heat (especially in a clay pot) but will require more consistent watering to be sure it doesn’t get dried out.

As your basil grows, you can harvest stems with 3-4 sets of leaves (just above a node); two side stems will develop, giving you more basil.  As those side stems grow taller and get more sets of leaves, harvest those as well and continue on throughout the growing season.  Be sure to take no more than half the entire plant at any one time.  Continuous, careful harvest keeps the plant producing lots of tasty leaves and prevents flowering which can change the flavor of the herb.  If you miss a flower stem or two, simply pinch them off.

If you are keen to keep your basil looking its best, during the hottest part of the summer consider using shade cloth over your plants during the bright, hot afternoons.  Despite loving warm sun, basil can be burned by direct, late summer sun. We often pinch these leaves off and harvest those that have not been burned – but then we plant a lot of basil!

Basil is extremely sensitive to cold, so if you have plants in the ground in fall, its best to harvest and preserve and/or use all the basil you can before the first hint of frost. Plants in pots can be brought inside and kept alive during the winter, but will require supplemental light to keep them growing enough to harvest regularly.

Varieties
There are more than 60 different species in the Ocimum genus, and nearly endless varieties of the classic sweet basil, Ocimum basilicum.  Here are some of our favorites:

• Genovese – this is the typical classic Italian basil, commonly seen in stores and nurseries; it has a spicy, bold basil flavor that people are most familiar with
  
• Lettuce leaf/Mammoth – depending on the seed supplier or nursery, you’ll see both of these names; this crinkly, fringe edged variety has leaves of considerable size and often a milder flavor (especially the lettuce leaf variety)
  
• Scented basils – these aromatic basils including cinnamon, lemon, anise and licorice and can be a fun addition to your basil collection
  
• Purple basil – there are quite a few cultivars or varieties of purple basil; the deep purple colored leaves (sometimes mottled with a bit of bright green), add a lovely pinkish-purple color to vinegars and teas
  
• Thai – a basil variety with a good spicy kick to it, called “Ho-ra-pa” in Thai
  
• Holy basil – also known as Tulsi, a different species called Ocimum sanctum (alternatively Ocimum tenuflorium); this native of India and cultivated throughout out SE Asia is a sacred plant in the Hindu religion and has many beneficial medicinal properties
  

Uses
Culinary – With its spicy, sweet smell and flavor, basil is very popular in Mediterranean cuisine and because it goes well with tomatoes it is especially identified with Italian cooking.   Pesto is famously made from basil, although you can get experimental and add other herbs too for a variety of flavors and uses (see recipe below).  It is good in salads (even the flowers!), paired with cheeses, and especially good in butter on breads.  Basil is a staple in many of our herbal culinary blends (link) and the list of dishes that an addition of basil will enhance is long. 

Scented basils add some lovely flavors to your cooking as well, for example: lemon basil with fish, cinnamon basils in fruit salads and fruit desserts, and licorice or anise basil in Asian dishes and cookies.
 
Household – Throw some basil on your BBQ coals after you are done cooking – the smoke helps repel mosquitoes.  Basil was commonly grown throughout the world on windowsills to help repel flies and keep them out of the home when windows were open to the breeze.  Scented basils add richness and depth to your potpourri mixtures.
 
Health Benefits – Basil is a good headache remedy in a tisane or tea and it also aids digestion (as many culinary herbs do).  Cinnamon or lemon basil dried leaves ground into a powder can be mixed with a little water and baking soda for a DIY natural toothpaste.  Holy basil in particular is well known as a calming herb and an adaptogen, aiding people to move towards health (in whatever way their body may need).  Holy basil is an herb that in India and many other countries, it is taken on a regular, daily basis to support the body in optimal health, especially when dealing with ongoing stress.  For more details on holy basil’s benefits, see Herbal Remedies Advice from herbalist Rosalee de la Floret. 
 
Beauty – Consider adding it to your bath tea herbal blend, or use it to create an herbal vinegar hair rinse to add luster to your hair (especially darker colored hair).

Fresh Basil Pesto   
Prep and Cook time:  ~20 min
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (can sub half the basil leaves with baby spinach or any other combo of fresh herbs)
½ cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan-Reggiano cheese (about 2 ounces)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts (can sub chopped walnuts or leave out)
3 garlic cloves, minced (about 3 teaspoons)
¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste
¼ teaspoon pepper

Place the basil leaves and pine nuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a several times.Add the garlic and Parmesan or Romano cheese and pulse several times more. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. While the food processor is running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady small stream. Adding the olive oil slowly, while the processor is running, will help it emulsify and help keep the olive oil from separating. Occasionally stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor. Stir in salt and freshly ground black pepper.
 
Suggestions, substitutions, etc:

• we leave out the pine nuts and cheese due to allergies and sensitivities in our family and notice absolutely no flavor difference
  
• try some other herbs in the mix, such as: chives, marjoram, oregano or even lemon balm (up to ¼ cup each)
• other oils to try: grapeseed, sunflower or avocado
• Preserving your pesto – simply put into small glass jars ~3/4 full and freeze; place frozen jar into your fridge and eat within a week or so
  

Many herbs get added to our herb beds by serendipity.  While perusing the farmers market or a plant sale, there is often an herb that jumps out at us – one that we haven’t seen before, and are intrigued by.  We may not know anything about it, but our plant senses tell us it needs to be ours.  So we take it home, find a spot for it and then watch it grow, all while learning as much as we can by observing it and also doing research.  This is how anise hyssop came to join the farm and her herb sisters.

Anise Hyssop is the herb of the year as selected by The International Herb Association for 2019 and then be recognized by the Herb Society of America as the Herb of the Month last year in anticipation of its big year in 2019. 

So what is it about Anise Hyssop that it deserves this recognition from these prestigious herb groups and lets it keep its spot at our herb farm?  As with so many herbs, it has a wide variety of uses.  Its tall foliage and flowers make it a beautiful background to other herbs and a striking addition to the landscape.  Indeed one of its primary purposes is as food for many types of bees, humming birds and butterflies. Since the flowers bloom from June into September, they provide food throughout the summer for these important pollinators, along with outstanding landscape color throughout the summer.

Anise Hyssop, Agastache foeniculum, is a perennial that grows between two to four feet tall with showy purple flower spikes. Neither a member of the anise family nor the hyssop family, anise hyssop is actually a member of the Lamiaceae (mint) family. Like mint and catnip, anise hyssop has square stems. The leaves smell like anise, hence the name, and are ovular and broad in shape, with fringed edges, and dull green in color.  When it is first emerging, it has beautiful purple color on the underside of the leaves.

It is native to northern parts of the United States and parts of Canada. It is fairly easy to start from seed or buy a start at a spring plant sale, then you’ll have your own seeds for planting in the fall.  It likes well drained soil and full sun.  As a native plant it is fairly hardy.  Ours grows near a fence with some other medicinal herbs: echinacea, valerian, and marshmallow.  For some reason it seems to attract the slugs in the spring and early summer – not the other herbs, just the anise hyssop.  At first we thought it was a rabbit, so put a fence around it.  When that didn’t stop the damage, we decided it must be the Pacific Northwest deadly plant foe – the slug.  Out came the organic-safe-for-all slug bait.   That did the trick and our anise hyssop was able to grow to its full beauty.  We have to remain vigilant in the early spring when it first emerges, as those first leaves seem the tastiest to the slugs.  With spring rains, regular reapplication of slug bait is necessary.  Occasionally, aphids and flea beetles are a problem, but not enough to bother with.  There is still plenty of untouched leaves and flowers for harvest. 

If you live near a wooded area, anise hyssop is purported to repel deer, so consider planting it around the edges of the yard or garden. As a medicinal herb, anise hyssop is traditionally known as a tea herb.  It was especially well known among Native Americans as a relief for congestion, helping to clear airways and lungs.  A hot infusion is said to induce sweating so is good for reducing fevers and because of this quality the Cheyenne are known to use anise hyssop in their sweat lodges.  The Iroquois made a wash with the herb to use to relieve the itching from poison ivy.  Modern herbalists use it in salves to treat wounds or as a poultice for burns.  Anise hyssop is a key ingredient in our Cold Calming Tea – combined with sage, bee balm, and thyme – it is great for the sinus troubles that seem to plague our family throughout the year.
At one of on-the-farm classes about teas a few years ago, a participant had a persistent cough.  She took a water bottle with her when she was out and about to try to relieve the cough and lessen her embarrassment. However, it just wasn’t working.  After some thought, Erin helped her to come up with a tasty tea combination of anise hyssop and sage, which did soften the cough.  She continues to purchase this special tea and is especially thankful when she is situations such as church, to be able to sip her tea and not interrupt social situations with a cough.

Leaves and flowers are can both be used.  Dried or fresh they can be made into teas and for added flavor include some mint.  It makes a tasty fresh garden herbal iced tea – simply make a small bouquet of herbs from your garden patch, pour boiling water to cover, let sit for ~20 minutes covered, then strain well.  This herb tea concentrate can be diluted by as much as 50% (depending on taste), add ice and enjoy!  The flowers when crumbled made a nice addition to salads or in butter cookies.  Because the leaves maintain their scent when dried, they are good in potpourri.

So there you have why Anise Hyssop has been recognized this year.  With its beautiful flowers and many uses from culinary to medicinal, it a great choice for Herb of the Year.  Make it a part of your garden.

Spring for the herb gals at Garden Delights means we are getting ready not just to begin harvesting and finalize some cleanup but to set and get started on our yearly class series.  Our classes are a time to share information and to answer burning questions about all things herbal, secretly one of things we like to do best. We sometimes make presentations to local groups and at once such recent event we were asked about fertilizing herb plants.  Most of us think of our perennial herbs plants as sturdy hardy souls who require little attention.  That’s part of the beauty of growing them.  We did answer the question presented to us and would like to share that information with you.

Herb plants are kind of stuck in one place, unless we move them, so consequently over time they use all the nutrients in their soil.  To keep plants healthy and maintain growth for continued harvests, we have to help them have a good source of nutrients which means a shot of fertilizer.  ­­A great time for this nutrient shot is in spring which will officially occur this month, so read on to get all the info on how to renew our hardy herb friends with some nutrients. 

Just what fertilizer to use?  Many of the nurseries and even large variety stores will carry a good supply of organic fertilizers, many of them designed especially for herbs.  Some are liquid to be mixed with water and applied with a sprinkling can.  Others are dry and can be sprinkled around the base of the plants.  Choose either dry or liquid, whichever you want to apply.  We typically use a dry kind and let the spring rains water it in. Often they contain fish, feather or blood meal products, so keep that in mind if you have pets who may have access to your herb garden area.  From experience we can attest to what happens when big black dogs begin to dig around your herb plants! 
In ground plants have been resting all winter and will begin putting on new growth as soon as the temperatures increase.  Before they get growing too fast and the spring rains are gone, apply some fertilizer.  This one time application should be enough unless you harvest frequently and water often.  Then you might want to make a second application in mid-summer.

Herbs in containers, because they require frequent watering to keep them from getting dried out, their nutrients get washed away.  They will need a fertilizer boost a little more often.  Applying a small dose of fertilizer at least once a month or every 2-4 weeks will keep them green and happy. We like to give the mint plants we grow in pots around the greenhouse a monthly shot of liquid fish based fertilizer during the growing months, spring through fall (approx. June through October).

There may even be some herbs growing in your garden that can be used as fertilizers.  Two large, lush and green plants come to mind—comfrey and borage.   Both are good sources of nutrients and minerals such as potassium and calcium, as well as the basics of nitrogen and phosphorus. You can harvest the stems and leaves, and lay them under your in ground herb plants as a mulch and fertilizer in one.  They combine very well with manures and standard compost as well. 

Comfrey and borage also make a fantastic liquid fertilizer.  The large leaves and stems can be harvested, cut into pieces and stuffed into a 5 gallon bucket, covered with water and a lid.  The herbs should be tightly pressed into the bucket – use a rock or old brick to help hold the plants down. Set aside, wait about 30 days, strain and use as a liquid fertilizer to water the soil under the herb plants.  Just a caution—the first time the lid is removed there will be a very unpleasant odor.  The tea is fine, that’s just how it smells. Dilute the finished tea 1 part to 15 parts water, and use to water the soil under any herbs.  Try not to get it on the leaves, as sometimes it can burn the leaves of your growing herbs.  This also gets the fertilizer down to your herb plants roots, where it will be the most useful.  We loved this last summer and even got the kid to make it – he refused to help strain it once it was done – ha ha!
You can speed up the breakdown of the leaves in the bucket by adding a bit of molasses, up to 1 cup, to your tea mixture.

Many herbs have nutrients in them, so consider adding them to the compost tea recipe above, fresh or dried.

• Nettle: vitamins A, C, & K, calcium, magnesium, Sulphur, phosphate, phosphorus, potassium, boron, bromine, copper, iron, selenium and zinc.
  
• Parsley: vitamins A and C, iron, copper and manganese.
  
• Dandelion: vitamins A and C, calcium and potassium.
  

As we approach spring and warmer temperatures (surely it will happen soon!) help your herb plants have a healthy growing season with a nice dose of delicious fertilizer.

Winter Savory – Satureja montana, is a semi-evergreen low growing shrub.  It is hardy to zones 6 so typically has no problems growing in our area.  It is best started from a plant start.  As with most Mediterranean herbs, it likes full sun and well-drained soil.  Harvest the leaves as it grows and if it begins to get woody, some of the woody stems can be cut back almost to the ground to encourage new growth.  The pinkish-white flowers appear on tall stalks that are somewhat leathery and not harvested for use but do provide food for pollinators.

There are two kinds of savory – summer and winter. Summer savory is an annual that is often preferred by cooks for its flavor which is milder than winter savory.  But winter savory maintains its flavor very well when dried, so provides a lasting herbal addition for winter months.  Both savory varieties have a spicy, peppery taste and are known throughout Central and Eastern Europe as the “bean” herb.  Folk lore suggests that it “expels the wind from the stomach”.  It is a component of Herbes de Provence and goes well with meats, potatoes, stews and stronger vegetables.  It is often found commercially in sausage.  You can find Herbes de Provence and Savory Onion herb blends on the Garden Delights website.

It has been used for over 2,000 years as a healing and household herb as well as for culinary purposes.  A simple tea helps soothe the digestive system.  A strong infusion makes a good mouthwash.  To treat insect bites, bruise some fresh leaves and apply to the bite. Winter savory can be found in toothpastes and soaps.

Savory Herbal Marinade
For Beef:
2 ½  C Red Wine
3/4  C Red Wine Vinegar
1 small onion chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 bay leaves, broken into pieces
2 tsp each fresh Thyme, Oregano and Winter Savory, coarsely chopped
Salt
Allow meat to marinate overnight or about 12 hours.
For Chicken:
Exchange the red wine for white wine and the red wine vinegar for white wine vinegar. Change the herbs to tarragon, lemon thyme or lemon verbena and savory or any combination of those. 
For Pork:   add fresh mint to the White Wine Marinade.

Rosemary  - Rosmarius officinalis is an evergreen bush that can grow up to 5 feet if allowed.  It is an evergreen with needle-like leaves and grows wild along the coasts of Spain where it has its Mediterranean origins.  It likes sun and well-drained soil, but will tolerate partial shade. Since it tends to have fragile roots, in higher elevations in our area it may need to be mulched for the winter, as it has been known to suffer from the sometimes extreme cold we may have during the winter.  In some regions it is grown in containers so it can be brought indoors.

Rosemary has a long history of legends and uses of all kinds.  It is known as the herb of remembrance and friendship and was associated with many stories of the Christian religion.  In Renaissance times it was used as a strewing herb to mask odors and to ward against evil which had a secondary purpose, perhaps not known to all its users, to help prevent the spread of germs and disease. It was often included in the small bouquets (tussie-mussie) that women carried.

Rosemary’s piney fragrance makes it a good addition to potpourri which can serve double duty as an insect repellent.  Add some catnip to help ward off mosquitoes or lavender to send moths running.  With its strong pungent flavor, rosemary it pairs well with meats and wakes up mild veggies like potatoes (like those rosemary French fries so popular at a local burger joint) and beans.  It is easy to dry – place in a paper bag and wait about a week.  Be sure to grind the needley leaves before adding to your cooking.  Just ask Erin about this, as she found “pine” needles in her food at college.  As a vinegar, rosemary is an outstanding addition to any pantry.

Rosemary Vinegar
2 C white vinegar
4-5 small sprigs fresh rosemary
Place rosemary in a clear glass jar, add vinegar and cover with a plastic lid.  If a metal lid is used, place some kind of a liner between the lid and jar.  Let it sit in a sunny window for about a week or 3-4 weeks in a dark cupboard.  Taste and if ready, strain out herbs and store.  Makes a tasty salad dressing or marinade.

Thyme – Thymus vulgaris is a small mounded bush with teeny leaves.  It is an evergreen that only grows to about 8-10 inches.  It is a common (hence vulgaris) herb used extensively in cooking.  Creeping thyme is typically used as a ground cover but could replace common thymes in a pinch.  Garden thyme comes in several varieties. The two most often grown for home use are French and English.  We have both kinds at the herb farm, as well as lemon, lime and Dutch tea thymes.  There are several other varieties that are great additions to the landscape with their variegated or other colored leaves.  

Thyme likes sun and because of its size does well in a container.  The flowers grow in a vertical cluster and are typically pinkish and of course loved by bees.  In many Mediterranean countries thyme honey is considered the very best. To keep the plants small bushy mounds, in the spring prune back the stems to about half their length.
Thyme has many uses in cooking in stuffing, hearty soups, all vegetables, marinades, oils and vinegars with a special affinity to fish dishes.  Its familiar flavor is found often in French and Italian cuisine.  Although the leaves are tiny they pack a powerful flavor and thyme is often a minor ingredient in recipes or our herb blends.

Thyme leaves and flowers contain an oil called thymol which is used commercially in cosmetics and medicines. Pure thymol has been known to have negative side effects, externally and internally, so caution is in order. Tea made from fresh or dried thyme leaves is said to be good for colds and as a gargle for sore throats. It is antiseptic and disinfectant and was used during World War I to treat soldiers’ wounds.
 
 
Herbed Croutons
Using a loaf of Italian bread, slice and trim crusts from slices.  Cut slices into ½ to 1 inch pieces. Set aside.   Melt ½ C butter in skillet. Add ½ teaspoon of each dried herb – thyme, basil and marjoram (or any of your favorite herbs).  Add a little onion or garlic power if desired.  Sauté bread cubes in hot butter mixture, turning to brown on all sides. Drain on paper towels.  Ready for soups or salads.

Ah, the aromas of the holiday seasons.  Those earthy savory smells of turkey and stuffing or ham and the sweet spiciness of pies. Herbs of every kind flavor holiday meals from sage and thyme in the turkey rub to nutmeg in the pies.  Wait a minute, that nutmeg is not really an herb. 

Herbs and spices are quite different.  Herbs are plants used for flavoring, texture, fragrance or dyeing that grow in a temperate zone.  They are plants that have a culinary, medicinal or practical use that you would expect to find in a traditional herb garden.  That temperate zone is one reason we all have so many wonderful herbs in our gardens. Spices on the other hand, tend to come from woody plants in tropical zones, a reason why the majority of spices are imported. The Mediterranean region brought us herbs as the Romans conquered the world and the south Asian area brought spices along Marco Polo’s spice trail.

Often we associate herbs with savory flavors found in daily cooking while spices go with sweet delectable desserts.  We are of course big advocates for the culinary use of herbs.  However, we do also use spices and think there is no reason herbs and spices can’t go together.  The holiday stuffing could have shredded or chopped apples and/or cranberries added and along with the sage-y Poultry Blend seasoning sprinkle in a little cinnamon and/or ginger.  Winter squashes of all kinds pair well with the traditional French Herbes de Provence Blend and a little nutmeg and cinnamon.

Now that we’ve mentioned nutmeg, just what is that spice?  The ground or whole seed we use for baking comes from an evergreen tree principally grown in Indonesia and the West Indies. Nutmeg trees may reach a height of about 65 feet. It takes eight years for the trees to bear fruit and they reach their prime in 25 years, but can bear fruit for 60 years or longer. The fruit is similar in appearance to an apricot. When fully mature it splits in two, exposing a crimson-colored aril, or outer covering surrounding a single shiny brown seed, the nutmeg.  This outer covering is made into the spice mace, which has a slightly warm taste and fragrance similar to nutmeg.  Nutmeg has a distinctive pungent slightly sweet taste used to flavor all kinds of baked goods, confections, puddings, even potatoes, meats, sausages, sauces, vegetables, and of course the holiday eggnog.

Cinnamon is a widely favored in baking and can be found in traditional pumpkin pie spice blend. Cinnamon is the dried inner bark of a bushy evergreen tree of the laurel (think Bay leaves) family.  Although native to the coast of India and Sri Lanka, where the majority of the spice is harvested, it is also grown commercially in South America and the West Indies.  When a cinnamon tree is around two years old, it is cut back to the size of a stump and covered with soil. This technique causes it to grow like a bush, with new shoots emerging out of the sides by the following year. These shoots are used to make the cinnamon we know.  Once cut, the shoots are stripped of their bark and the peels are set out to dry in the sun. As this happens, the bark naturally curls into quills or sticks which are sold whole or often ground and sold for the convenience of cooking.

he aromas of the holiday season also stir memories of times spent with family and friends and traditions associated with them.  Traditions often are cultural, brought with families as they immigrated.  Many special recipes are handed down and become an expected part of the holiday season.  The Eastern Europeans of our area are known for their use of anise seeds in baking.  An often favorite traditional cookie recipe includes anise seeds – commonly known as Springerle cookies.  The grandfather of Erin’s cousins, a German immigrant, always had these cookies at Christmas time and their mother carries on the tradition.  Here is the recipe for you to try.
 
Crisp Anise Seed Butter Cookies
Prep and Cook Time:  60 min
4 C all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 C butter, softened
1 C white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp anise seeds
¼ C white sugar for decoration
1 tsp ground cinnamon or cardamom

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time then stir in the vanilla. Gradually mix in the sifted ingredients and anise seeds until well blended. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 350∞. Grease cookie sheets. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to ¼ inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 ½ inches apart onto cookie sheets. Sprinkle the tops with a mixture of the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and cinnamon. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until light brown. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.   schöne Ferien (happy holidays)
 
The Mexican immigrants who first came to Washington in the 1880’s brought many traditional foods, too.  Grandma McGaughey made a powdered sugar coated cookie she called Mexican Wedding cakes which are a common holiday cookie in Mexico.  Some people may also know them as Russian tea cakes.  We have the recipe written in her scrolling cursive hand and use it to make cookies to be included in our holiday cookie boxes (a tradition in our home) we take to neighbors, teachers, friends and people who have helped us throughout the year, like the post office. Here is Grandma M’s recipe and for many more Mexican delights for the holidays go to:
https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/mexican-christmas-dishes/
 
Mexican Wedding Cakes
Prep and Cook Time: 60 min
1 C butter, softened
1⁄2 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1⁄4 C sifted flour
1⁄4 tsp salt
3⁄4 C chopped walnuts or 3⁄4 C pecans
powdered sugar (for rolling baked cookies in)
Cream together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy; stir in vanilla. Whisk together flour and salt; add gradually to butter mixture; stir in chopped nuts. Chill dough if it seems too soft. Form dough into 1¼ " balls and place onto parchment-lined or ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or just until the cookies start to turn light golden-brown; remove from oven and allow to cool slightly; while cookies are still warm (but NOT hot) remove them from baking sheets and roll, a few at a time, in powdered sugar until evenly coated; cool cookies completely on wire racks. Cookies may (optionally) be rolled in powdered sugar a second time once cooled to room temperature. NOTE: Forming dough into 1" balls will increase yield.  Noche Buena (the night of goodness, Christmas Eve)

A final tradition at our house is a year end trip to a beach.  We have gone to Long Beach, Wa many times and to Tillamook, Manzanita and even San Diego and Hawaii. This year we are headed to Gray’s Harbor north of Willapa Bay. It’s a celebration of sorts for finishing the year end direct sales events – a huge thank you to all who visited us at various bazaars! We relax a little with family before heading to the greenhouse in the new year to plant seeds and propagate herbs for spring plant sales.  Whatever traditions you have may they includes lots of tasty herbs and spices, too. 

The kids will be heading back to school this month ready and eager to get back into the academic groove.  In honor of National Kid Month – September- we present some herbal ideas that will get the young ones involved with herbs, maybe the outdoors and putting those academic skills to use in practical fun ways.
The young one in our family is well aware of herbs and even has several of his own favorites.  He has been stung several times this summer by the abundance of yellow jackets. Although his first response is a lot of loud hollering, through all the noise he yells “Get Mom!”  He knows that mom will get a poultice of plantain (once chewed and slapped on the sting while in the garden) which will pull out the poison and relieve the pain.  So this summer he may say that plantain is a favorite herb.  He knows about the herbs we grow and use in our food everyday something we talk about all the time.  He has learned about herbs from his very beginning.  Something we encourage everyone to do.

Begin with food.  If you grow herbs, take your children into the garden and let them feel, taste and harvest herbs.  Name the herbs and tell them what you do with them.  Take some pictures or press some leaves and let them start a scrapbook.  Then let them help use those herbs in some cooking. This is a simple and good place to start kids out with herbs easily.  Our kiddo enjoys making dill pickles every year, and the umbrel flowers of the dill make for fun and easy harvesting.  We have also made pesto from a wide variety of herbs - what fun to chop the herbs roughly so they fit into the food processor (scissors work great for this) and then whirring them up into a lovely green paste with some oil and then mixed with pasta!

Start their own herb garden – our kiddo has his own fairy garden in between the herbs.  Some herbs to consider for a kid garden include: anise hyssop, lemon balm, catmint, beebalm, calendula and any mint such as peppermint.  These herbs all have great smells when gently rubbed, and grow easily without much care or maintenance.  Their flowers also attract a wide variety of insects, which can add an additional element of fascination for kids.  It is easy to make bouquets out of them (for gifting friends and family, something that many a young child likes to do), and they can also easily make fresh summer iced tea.  These herbs all have great medicinal uses which are safe for kids.  Lemon balm and peppermint make tasty, and tummy soothing teas when kids aren’t feeling well.  Catnip works well to help soothe and cool a fever.  Calendula can be infused in oil (any oil you’ve got on hand, such as olive, coconut, grape, etc.); once the flowers are strained out, you can use the oil for bumps, bruises, scrapes, and itchy and scratchy skin.  Add a bit of shredded beeswax to gently heated oil, then once it cools you’ve got a wonderful healing salve.

Take a foraging walk around your yard or neighborhood!  While we are talking about insects, bee stings are an often inevitable result of spending time outdoors and in the garden.  But there are several plant allies that are readily available in nearly every yard as weeds which can help with bee stings and other bug bites, itchy skin and simple scratches and owies.  Yarrow is a common garden “weed” which is great at stopping bleeding of minor cuts and scrapes.  Craft a simple poultice of chopped & ground fresh or dried herb, mixed with a bit of water, and place directly on the wound.  Plantain, also seen as a common “weed”, is terrific for bug bites and bee stings.  As mentioned above, create a simple poultice out of dried or fresh ground herb and a bit of water, and place directly on the affected area.  As the poultice heats up, be sure to change it out, so the herb can help draw out the heat and any “poison” left by the bite or sting. 

The library is a wealth of knowledge and it is free.  The Battleground Library, our favorite branch of our regional library system, is our go-to choice but the regional library system has several branches and books about herbs are readily available.  Books with colorful pictures should be helpful and interesting to children.  Let them pick out a book or two and enjoy the learning with them.  If they get really excited visit a bookstore and let them help pick out a book to keep in your home library. 

Here are a couple of suggestions:

• A Kid’s Herb Book: For Children of All Ages by Leslie Tierra
  
• Walking the World in Wonder: A Children’s Herbal by Ellen Evert Hopman
  
• Herb Fairies – a series of storybooks from Learning Herbs
  

Play games. It can be as easy as “find the lemon balm” or “show me an herb that makes great tea”. There is also an actual board game for learning about herbs.  Wildcraft! from Learning Herbs is an excellent cooperative board game that teaches about herbs.  It involves an adventure to grandma’s house so how could that not be fun.  We have this game and have had fun playing it, especially since it cooperative. 
However you share herbs with your kiddos, enjoy time spent together and learning about the plants around us that are infinitely useful!

Since basil is enjoying all the sunshine, no doubt more than we are, and growing in leaps and bounds, for many cooks thoughts turn to pesto.  Traditional pesto is a colorful sauce that originated in Genoa, Italy where it is known as pesto alla genovese.  Typically it is made from crushed basil leaves, pine nuts and garlic with added olive oil and parmesan and/or Romano cheese.  The ingredients were ground with a mortar and pestle hence the name pesto.  It has a distinctive green hue and a light texture.  The Italians used pesto on pasta, of course, but it can have many other uses.

Any herb may be substituted for basil and even kale and spinach have been known to turn up in a pesto.  Be creative and use your pesto with more than pasta.  Making pesto with different herbs uses the typical basil recipe but sometimes with a few changes for the nuts or cheese or change things up your own way.  Here are some other herbs to use in pesto and ideas on how to use them.

Basic Fresh Herb Pesto
Prep and Cook time:  20 min      Yield:  about 1 C
2 C fresh basil leaves or any other herb or combo of herbs, packed (can sub half the herb leaves with baby spinach)
1/2 C freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese (about ¼ C)
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
1/3 c pine nuts (can sub other chopped nuts or leave out)
3 garlic cloves, minced (about 3 tsp)
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
Place the basil leaves and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times. Add the garlic and cheese and pulse several more times. Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. While the food processor is running, slowly add the olive oil in a small steady stream. Adding the olive oil slowly while the processor is running, will help it emulsify and help keep the olive oil from separating. Occasionally stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor. Stir in salt and black pepper.  Store in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to a week.  Put a thin layer of oil on the top to keep it from turning brown.

Cilantro Pesto Recipe
Use the directions for Basic Herb Pesto to make this spicy version.
2 C packed cilantro, including stems
1/2 C blanched almonds   
1/4 C chopped red onion
1/2 tsp chopped and seeded serrano chile;  add more serrano chilies if you like things hot. A full teaspoon will give you a nice, warm pesto.
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 C olive oil
Toast the almonds: Heat a small skillet on high heat. When the pan is hot, add the blanched almonds in a single layer. Stir with a wooden spoon. When the almonds are fragrant and start to brown, remove them from the pan.

Here are a few other suggestions.  Use the Basic Herb Pesto recipe and directions making­­­­­­ the substitutions as indicated.
Kale-walnut pesto with spaghetti squash
     Bake the squash, scrape the inside to form “noodles”.   Add kale pesto to squash “noodles”
     and top with cherry tomatoes.  Heat and eat.

Oregano-pistachio pesto, also add 2 Tbsp lemon juice
      Serve on grilled or steamed fish

Lemon basil pesto
    Brush on chicken and grill

Mint pesto – no nuts or cheese
     Add to ground lamb before forming into patties

Using Any Herb Pesto
    Instead of garlic bread, spread pesto onto crusty bread and toast
    Stir pesto into bread dough for wonderfully fragrant dinner rolls or breads
    Stir pesto into quick breads and biscuits
    Spread on a Sandwich or Flatbread
    Mix pesto with mayonnaise and use on a sandwich
    Mix into Salad Dressing
    Toss (or Top) Veggies
    Summer squashes

Cilantro Abundance
We have an abundance of cilantro this year. We have harvested and dried what we hope will be all that we need for this year and are leaving the plants to flower and go to seed. We will harvest the seeds when they are ready, which is when about half the seeds have turned from greenish to grayish-tan. These will go in a paper bag to finish drying. Later we will use them as coriander for culinary purposes or as seed for next year’s planting. We chose to harvest some of this cilantro abundance for ourselves and preserve for winter time goodness. Although we did not make a “true” pesto because we left out some of the ingredients, we used the same directions.

• Sort and trim the cilantro – stems are ok we just didn’t want large ones
• Rinse the cilantro and dry in a salad spinner
• Fill the food processor bowl to the top and chop
• Add olive oil – enough to get the herb mixture to stick together in a mound, hold together
• Stop occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl
• Place in ice cube trays to freeze

Frozen cubes are stored in freezer bag in freezer

We have an easy to use cilantro paste/sauce similar to pesto ready for those Mexican dishes that require a little spiciness. For those who would like to make true pesto, we offer the following recipe and ideas.

Preserving for use later
Pesto and the basic herb paste discussed above, freezes well.  You can easily freeze it in ice cube trays, and then store frozen pesto cubes in the freezer for up to 6 months. Pesto may also be frozen in small glass jars or plastic containers for up to 9-12 months.  One friend of ours does this every year, mixing herbs to her liking and creating a basic herbal paste, which she freezes in jars and uses all winter.  She simply pulls a small jar out, places it in the fridge to defrost, and then scoops out with a spoon however much she wants for her morning scrambled eggs and in soups and stews throughout the winter and spring.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation makes this statement concerning the canning of pesto:
"Pesto is an uncooked seasoning mixture of herbs, usually including fresh basil, and some oil. It may be frozen for long term storage; there are no home canning recommendations."
 
So get some pesto going with whatever herb you have on hand including the classic basil to enjoy now and preserve some for those rainy winter days we know will come.

The youngest member of our farm family has a favorite restaurant and it serves Mexican food.  His dad likes his Mexican food a little on the hot spicy side.  Their whole family enjoys their “taco” Saturday nights. This opportunity to enjoy Mexican food comes to them in part from a group of immigrants who played a vital role in our region.  As they came here they brought many elements of their culture including culinary styles and ingredients

The major group of Latinos who have settled in our state have come from Mexico. They began arriving in the 1870’s to provide mule packs for mines.  During World War II there was an increased demand for agricultural workers, so Mexicans were recruited to do the work.  Many stayed, sharing their cooking which we enjoy and make attempts to replicate. To do that it helps to know a little about what gives the flavor to Latin American dishes. Latin Americans use many of the herbs we use such as thyme, rosemary, oregano and marjoram but they also have a few not always familiar to our typical European taste buds.  Here are a few to consider.

Cilantro - is an easy to grow herb that is becoming a favorite of many Americans.  It is a member of the parsley family and grows similarly, even in appearance.  If left to flower and go to seed, the seeds are known as coriander, which is also used in Latino cooking.  The flavor of cilantro is a little spicy with a complex flavor with hints of pepper, sage and lemon.

Culantro - although related to cilantro, has a stronger flavor. It is an easy-to-grow herb that has many culinary uses in Caribbean, Latin American, and Asian cuisine. Although used in small amounts, its very strong flavor is used as a seasoning in a wide range of foods, including meats, vegetables, and chutneys. Plants grown under shade produce larger and greener leaves. It has long, serrated leaves and sports a blue flower when permitted to bolt. It actually looks a bit like a long-leafed lettuce and grows in a similar manner, from a centralized rosette. At the peak of its growth, a culantro plant can be one-foot tall and the leaves as much as two-inches wide.

Epazote  -  The coarse, robust plant may grow as tall as 5 feet with a much branched, downy stem that is woody at the base. Tiny greenish flowers in dense spikes in the leaf axils bloom in late summer and fall.  Commonly used as a spice in traditional Mexican dishes especially when preparing black beans as the herb has carminative properties and can help prevent flatulence.   Raw, it has a resinous pungency, similar to anise, fennel or even tarragon, but stronger, some consider it a bit like the smell of a squashed stink bug.  

Cumin – native to the eastern Mediterranean through to East India.  An annual flowering plant from the parsley family, whose seeds are used in the cuisines of Mexico, Asia, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Has a nutty peppery flavor that packs a punch

Chile peppers –  Seeds are typically used or powder of all levels of heat

Annato seeds – seeds from achiote tree, used in rice and stews, imparts orange/yellow color

Adobo Seasoning  - all-purpose seasoning containing oregano, cumin, onion powder, chili/cayenne and paprika

Another group of immigrants who played a major role in our state are Asians.  Chinese were the first Asians to come to Washington during the mid--1800’s.  They came to work on railroads, in logging camps and at the canneries.  Japanese immigrants started arriving in the early 1900’s coming from Hawai’i.  They also came to work in canneries and logging camps and also to pick produce.  After the end of the war in Vietnam, SE Asians arrived.  All these groups brought their culinary experiences with them that have been incorporated into American cooking.  Interestingly, Asians use some of the same herbs that Latinos use including cumin, coriander(cilantro) and chilies.  They also have some herbs of that are more common to their cooking habits.

Lemon Basil – a typical annual basil plant with tones of lemon/citrus flavor; can be combined together with other herbs to make a paste - something commonly used in a wide variety of Asian cooking.

Chinese (garlic) chives - flat dark green leaves with white flowers. Its taste is stronger than chives in the U.S.  Both leaves and flowers are edible. The fresh leaves are flat and will wilt when cooked quickly in a hot wok. There are 2 types available, green and yellow. They grow similar to chives but do not spread so profusely or quickly.

Lemongrass -lends a fresh, fine, fragrant lemony tang with hints of ginger and mint. Harvest lemongrass for its bulbous stem bases, rich with lemony flavor, or clip leaves for infusing tea and soup stock.  Good with curries, fish, shrimp, soups, stews, marinades and stir-fries. Use a ¼ teaspoon to make a refreshing tea, hot or cold.  KITCHEN TIP: Before adding to dishes, slice lemongrass into rings or strips and bruise segments to release the flavor. Freezes well.  Lemongrass forms a tall, grassy clump 3 to 5 feet tall. Its appearance rivals that of many ornamental grasses and can easily fulfill a similar role in the landscape. Due to its tropical nature, lemongrass usually only survives winters in zones 8 and warmer. This citrus-flavored grass overwinters well in a dormant state in a cool, dark spot indoors, or you can grow it as an indoor herb through winter in colder zones.

Thai basil – widely used throughout Southeast Asia and plays a prominent role in Vietnamese cuisine. It is the cultivar most often used for Asian cooking in Western kitchens.  Varieties include Vietnamese and Siam basil.  A typical annual basil plant needing full sun and hot days.

Turmeric - underground stems (rhizomes) are dried and made into capsules, tablets, teas, or spice and a major ingredient in curry powder. Its primary active ingredients are yellow and used to color foods and cosmetics. Today it is used as a dietary supplement for inflammation; arthritis; stomach, skin, liver, and gallbladder problems; cancer; and other conditions.

 Ginger -fragrant underground stem (called a rhizome) widely used as a zesty flavoring in foods. It has risen to be among the top twelve spices most consumed in the United States.

Enjoy some new cooking adventures with these two interesting cuisines. The local newspaper often has recipes or there are undoubtedly many to peruse on the internet.  Garden Delights provides herb blends from various regions of the world – Italian, Mexican, Greek (Mediterranean), Herbes de Provence (France and Western Europe) and Savory Onion (Germany and Eastern Europe).

Chamomile – While there are two kinds of chamomile, Roman chamomile is best suited as a ground cover.  It will grow in sun and partial shade, requires very little watering, can be mowed and walked on.  It produces small daisy type flowers that give off an apple-ly scent especially when walked on.  Its feathery leaves are a light green/grey color. You can harvest and dry the flowers for bath salts and teas, as well as for potpourri.

Pennyroyal -  This low growing member of the mint family has been used to keep fleas away and it also makes a terrific groundcover. It creates a dark green mat with stalks of interesting flowers.  It can be mowed and walked on.  Pennyroyal can be a very powerful herb (especially the oil), so pregnant women should avoid handling it and it should not be used on pregnant animals.  Honeybees love the flowers and it provides an excellent source of forage for them.

Sweet Woodruff – This herb is well known as a shade ground cover. It grows to about 5”, spreads by runners fairly quickly.   The star-shaped whorls of leaves and lacy white flowers are quite attractive.  Traditionally in Germany, this herb is used to infuse white wines such as Reisling along with strawberries to make May wine, celebrating the turning toward summer.  It also makes a great addition to potpourri, with a lovely sweet dried hay scent.

Whether you choose these herbs or some other creeping type ground covers, keep in mind that ground covers should be low growing plants that spread somewhat aggressively and cover an area thickly enough to keep weeds at bay. Look at the area you plan to cover and decide will you walk on it, is it shady or sunny and just how much of that grassy lawn is going away. 
As we look to making our lives a little more simple with more time to do the things we want and with less impact on the environment, taking a good hard look at that grassy lawn might be one place to begin.